Every Rose Has It's Thorn
by Hachi-miitsu
Summary: It wasn't a question of how, but why. Faded memories should sometimes remain just that. Faded. But there comes a time when darker days will be dragged back to the forefront. Its Hiei's turn to face what he did, and more importantly just who he had been.
1. Chapter 1

_**Just posting this to see how many reviews it gets. If I don't get a certain number then it'll be quickly discontinued. So relax, read, and review if you please! **_

"It looks like a third eye."

Startled, Hiei looked up from his goulash. A hand reached forward and flicked him square in the middle of his forehead.

"Rrrright there."

Hiei groped around but couldn't feel anything. When Kuwabara chuckled, the shorter boy knew he had been had. Irritated, he tossed a spork at the obnoxious redhead.

"I don't want to hear anything about a third eye from someone like you pompa-doofus."

Offended, Kuwabara sat back and patted his conical hair lovingly.

"Oh yeah, this coming from someone who spends meticulous hours and just as many bottles of hair gel to look like a Johnny Bravo reject."

Hiei tisked and went back to his goulash again as Yusuke waded through the sea of teenagers to come sit at their corner table.

"Look alive boys and girls. We have company."

Eyes of three different shades looked up sharply at the call. Kuwabara made an appreciative sigh that awarded him a sharp elbow in the chest. Rubbing the spot good naturedly he motioned towards the two girls who were arm in arm passing out flyers for the next school function.

"It's not my fault man, your sister is fine."

Hiei's murderous glare quelled any further catcalls towards the sea foamed angel behind them. She was beautiful, but then most of the women from his family had been.

Beautiful, cold blooded.

_Traitorous bitches._

Subconsciously his fingers traced the chain of the necklace where his mother's tear rested. Yukina bore an identical one around her neck as well. It had been her last gift to the two of them before she had cast him out. His glower darkened until pale arms entwined themselves around his neck.

He looked up into his sister's red-brown eyes and smiled when they twinkled at him in amusement. He dislodged her arms gently and she stepped back, her grin growing wider by the second. He glanced behind him and almost gave into the urge to plant his lunch tray into the guy's face. Kuwabara was already grotesque enough without him making faces.

Yukina covered her giggle and coughed to taper it off.

"Kazuma, behave."

The copperhead was left stuttering and Hiei allowed his face to split into a small grin. That would teach the bastard. He turned his attention back to his sister.

"Yuks, must you use a first name basis with that oaf? It only encourages him."

She kept smiling and Hiei rolled his eyes. Fine then, let his sister have her fun. She wasn't called an ice maiden for nothing.

She took her seat next to Kuwabara and they all remained in peace for a few seconds before a crisp slap of flesh on flesh caused everyone in the near vicinity to cringe.

"Yusuke Urameshi, you insufferable pervert!"

All parties concerned knew it was the smart maneuver to not make eye contact whenever the unlikely couple had a spat, and most obeyed the venture.

Hiei, despite knowing better, chanced a peek anyways. His eyes quickly retreated into the downwards position as Keiko's piercing gaze met his for the scantest of instants. Her unspoken murder threat hung heavily and she was one person he never took lightly.

Human women were worse than most demons when riled.

The intercom crackled for a few seconds before a cool voice floated out.

"Mitsunari Yanagisawa and Asato Kido, please report to the principal's office. I repeat: Mitsunari Yanagisawa and Asato Kido, please report to the principal's office."

The two in question stirred from their positions at the table and swung their legs over the benches. The blond turned to his companion and grumbled.

"Do you think they finally caught on?"

The black haired boy contemplated for a moment while nibbling on the edge of a toothpick.

"It's hard to say. Just keep quiet. We'll wing it."

Yusuke, having finally recovered from his rapscallion skirt flipping, looked over at Kuwabara.

"What the hell's that about?"

"I'm not sure. Rumor is that those two from class 2A got their hands dirty with exams. Something about them selling off a new technique called 'shadow copying'. Doesn't look pretty."

Kuwabara winked and turned to Yukina who wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin.

Yusuke tapped his chin, mumbling, "I might have to look into that. Might come in ha—ahh!"

Yusuke yelped when Keiko pinched his leg.

"There had better be none of that from you mister. Or else."

He gulped, genuinely nervous.

Hiei chuckled. For all the turf wars between other schools, and fighting legions of wayward demons on the side Yusuke Urameshi didn't look like one easily intimidated. And yet here he sat, cowering in front of a girl.

Then again Keiko Yukimura wasn't just any girl.

Even though her relationship with the ruffian-turned-ghost-detective was in every way a shoujo cliché, she still stuck by him. Class president and a high school bad boy. The two made quite the interesting pair.

Hiei got up and dumped his tray in the trash before tucking his hands into his pockets. These kids were amusing for a time but there was only so much a guy could take before they became unbearably exhausting.

He bade the group farewell then wandered down the hall, not caring where his feet carried him. Lockers passed by in a repetitious loop.

Honestly, most of the whole 'school' ordeal made him sick. . He wasn't cut out for settings like this. He could have just spent the rest of his life wandering around happily in the wilderness

Then he had met Yusuke, and through him had found his sister again. If only it could have been left at just that.

But for some ungodly reason Koenma had wanted him here. And so here he was. Some fine dog he had turned into.

Gathering intel was his specialty and he mulled over the notion that he might have been insulted if the brat had picked someone else for the job. At least he had familiar faces around.

Small blessings.

Hiei contended with his warring natures as best as he could, but he remained ever the loner in their little rag tag group. As a walking, seldom talking dichotomy, he was comprised of the very darkest fires from hell, and the coldest of ice maidens.

He was only glad his sister had been born a girl. She didn't have to worry about being cast out by the female dominated society that had borne the both of them.

For this at least he was grateful. Cold fire, black hearted love…

"Excuse me…"

The unobtrusive voice gently broke his reverie. He turned and was met by the sight of emerald green eyes and hair that looked as soft as it did fiery.

He didn't say anything as the taller boy spoke again.

"This is my first day and I was wondering if you could help me."

Hiei, despite his better intentions, remained unresponsive. The red head cocked his head to the side as if listening to something only he could hear. Then he shook his head and smiled, taking a step forward.

_Run. _

Hiei couln't. His feet were cemented to the spot while the boy approached ever closer.

"Are you okay?"

When a lithe hand placed itself against his forehead, the paralysis finally broke. Hiei slapped the hand away and glared into muted green. The taller boy gasped sharply and drew his hand back.

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to offend you."

"Don't _ever _touch me. Who the hell do you think you are?"

Lips the color of virgin rose buds smiled patiently before parting to explain again slowly, as if dealing with an errant child…

"I said I was new. I was hoping you could help me."

"Why not just go to the office? That's what it's there for."

Hiei kept his glare steady as the other boy looked down and sighed.

"I'm afraid I was there but then I saw you walking and couldn't stop my feet from following. It's kind of embarrassing, but you see, I'm lost now."

He stuck his tongue out cutely and bonked himself lightly on the head.

"I just need directions then I can let you get back to whatever you were doing."

Hiei was caught between feeling stunned, irritated, and slightly perturbed. He had unwittingly enticed a guy. A _guy_.

Granted, he was quite the beauty with his pale skin and tapered figure, but he was still. A. _Guy_.

Shaking his head, Hiei realized that the quickest way to get this guy off his back was to give him what he wanted. With a few clipped directions and only a minor case of indigestion he wasn't sure was from this encounter or the lunch goulash, the other boy on his way again.

Long legs carried the red head a few steps away before he turned back and called after Hiei again. Taking a breath for patience, Hiei obliged.

"I'm Shuichi Minamino, in case you were wondering."

"I wasn't."

The boy named Shuichi inclined his head and proceeded again in the opposite direction. Hiei shook off the chills that suddenly raised themselves all over his body before hustling up to the rooftop to catch his afternoon nap.

_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_

"How did it go?"

The redhead chuckled into his strawberry milk.

"He doesn't remember me Yusuke. But the whole lost-new-kid-damsel-in-distress bit went off without a hitch. You were right. I was quite surprised. "

"Hmm…"

Yusuke trailed off and fiddled with the buttons on his green uniform. "So what are you going to do?"

"I'll wait."

"But you can't just… I thought you've been waiting for this opportunity."

"Oh I have. For a very…_very _long time. But as the old adage goes: All good things come to those who wait."

"I wouldn't exactly count Hiei as a _good_ thing."

Shuichi's eyes glittered as he let his lips bend into a slight smile.

"I've always had eccentric tastes. Or so I've been told."

Yusuke gave him a funny look before turning around in his seat to give half his attention to the beginning lecture, and half to the unfinished doodle on his desk.

Shuichi tapped his pencil on the workbook and stared idly at the blossoming grey clouds. So Hiei hadn't remembered him. Yet…

But his patience was something that had been seasoned for centuries. What were a few more trials here and there?

Yes, Hiei would come to him again before the end. On bloody knees and with a throat raw from begging for mercy if need be. But he would come.


	2. Chapter 2

**Whoop whoop! Chapter 2 up and running. .-. For those of you with weak constitutions viewer discretion is advised… or is it? x3 Just kidding…maybe o_o**

The school roof breathed of many memories. Plagued by secret lovers, sneaked cigarettes, and bloody fist fights of all shapes and forms the place was a hallowed sanctuary for ragamuffins and do-gooders alike.

At the moment its caged corners cradled a demon in the throws of a nightmare. Nay, in the grips of a memory much worse than any nightmare…

_Small feet of a child pattered down the long echoing hall. With every step the ice bit into bare his legs, but he barely winced anymore at the pain of it. Most of him was numb._

_He rushed through numerous rooms, a banquet hall, and icicle gardens but the splendor passed before his eyes unnoticed. Children didn't hunger after such things as expansive estates. Children craved much simpler things, for that was all their tiny hearts could bear. Not thrones or treasure or ultimate power. Merely family, and a home. _

_The chattering started and the youth had to lock his jaw to prevent his teeth from making any more noise than necessary. It didn't take much to antagonize these women, so he had to conduct himself in just such a manner. Hiei knew that he was allowed to stay here only under certain conditions because of the dictating nature of the all-female race he had been borne into._

_He resided in a chamber below the castle's catacombs. Alone. _

_His room was lush and had been amended with every amenity he'd ever need. His mom had even visited him on occasion. But lately she had ceased her comings. He missed the open sky, though he had rarely ever seen it. But most of all he missed the hands of his mother. So he had set out to try and find her. _

_The ice apparitions regarded his coming figure with disdain as they drifted away. It hurt, as all wounds do, physically or otherwise but the boy bore their ridicule with a grace and dignity that foreshadowed future years. Let them think what they wanted of him. As long as his sister was safe._

_A cry of relief almost escaped his quivering lips when he came upon his desired destination at last. Raising his arm, tinted blue by the icy atmosphere, Hiei rapped on the door. Pulling back his knuckles he let out a breath slowly as the skin was torn away. _

_Ice. Such cold ice. It took everything but gave back nothing. _

_A woman of impeccable countenance answered the door then sneered down at him. _

_He jutted his chin forward and glared into her condescending sneer without flinching. After a moment she leaned back into the room and called out, "Hina, your whelp has come to pay you a visit."_

_Hiei strained to hear the voice on the other side of the door and felt his frigid soul splinter when the presence he had coveted so zealously denied to see him yet again._

"_Send the boy back. I have no time, nor need of his company. He is old enough now to do without. Besides, I already catch enough ridicule for letting him stay here. Make him leave Ruri."_

_The woman blocking the door turned back with malicious satisfaction to try and do just that when she noticed that nothing was there. A tug at her skirt made her scream and step back. Like an elephant fleeing from a mouse she slammed the large door shut and pulled her gown away from the door._

_Hiei tumbled from between her legs and spilled into the room, ignoring his bruises. Ruri shrieked angrily and went to catch him when the voice of the boy's mother rang out clearly in the cavernous chamber._

"_Cease this foolishness at once!"_

_Both kneeled and looked up, one in scathing fury, and one in naïve expectation._

_Hina rose from her dais in the middle of the room and the boy felt his breath catch in his lungs. His mother carried herself with all the semblance of a queen. With sea foam tresses and aquamarine eyes, her very nature spoke of water incarnate. Solid and unyielding, liquid and passionate, breathy and delicate._

_Her beauty was unmatched in the whole realm and many were envious of her for this alone. As if it wasn't enough to be blessed with an ethereal magnificence, her powers were also coveted far and wide. The woman approached the two prostate figures elegantly. _

_He was proud to call the woman before him his mother. And when she reached down a smooth, creamy hand to cup his small face Hiei felt he could die from happiness._

_Was his mother finally going to acknowledge him?_

_Her eyes flashed and the youth felt his elation vanish instantly._

"_You are so like your father, aren't you? Stupid boy. Chasing after the skirts of women... you aren't even fit to lick the filth from their shoes!"_

_She shifted and placed a dainty foot out._

"_Kiss it."_

"_But mother I…"_

"_I said, kiss it."_

_Pained, he stared into his mother's pitiless eyes. When he didn't make a move to do as she bid she pulled back and kicked him across the room. _

_He couldn't even yelp out in pain because the temperature of the room had dropped drastically, stealing his breath, robbing him of his very life. _

_The slippery ground met his throbbing body as it heated up from the pain. At least he was warm in this instance while he was skidding helplessly across the floor._ _ It didn't last long before Hina swept down on him again with all the force of a violent blizzard._

_Through the hazey ringing in his ears he heard Ruri open the far door again and call for the other maidens. From out of nowhere his mother conjured a watery whip. Hiei followed her with his eyes as she stepped closer to him, slowly, methodically, as if—instead of preparing to beat her child—she was psyching herself up to take down a bitter enemy. _

"_You dare to look me in the eye with that face of yours. So like your father. No, he could never look away either. Selfish. Hellish. Beasts!"_

_She raised the lash against the tired youth who couldn't even bother looking away as it came down across his eye. The footsteps of the other maidens filtered into the room around his pain. Hiei could feel the bludgeoned area already starting to close as he rolled away, screaming and clutching it. Hina rustled above him as he came to rest against the far wall. _

_The lash came down again and again on his back, his head, his stinging hands, while he tried and failed to guard himself from the blows._

"_Get up. Get up! Why are you crying? You want a reason to cry? I'll give you a reason!"_

_A smattering of applause and giggles broke out at the maiden's rage filled cry._

_Encouraged by this she snarled, "Never again will I bear the ridicule. You should never have been born!"_

"_Mother, please! No more…please!"_

"_Never again!" She punctuated each word with a sharp kick to his ribs_

_Hiei couldn't recognize his own screams in the wake of his mother's frenzied beating. They were high pitched, alien and begging for a respite from the agony. But they were all drowned out in the larger cacophony of glee from the ever growing crowd of women surrounding him._

_If he tried to block her she only hit him harder. _

_Finally, Hina grabbed her son by a fistful of hair and hauled him to his feet. The boy stared steadily at this person who was supposed to have been his mother through one bloodshot eye. She wasn't. The maniacal glint in her fixated gaze said animal. _

_That gleam of insanity. _

_He grabbed her wrist in a feeble attempt to stay her hand as she raised it against him once more. The watery weapon evaporated in her clenched hand. _

_A hand that she then used to punch her child in the solar plexus. Hiei's dark eyes teared up when he felt something, somewhere inside of him shatter. He choked as her fist came again, this time on the side of his face. _

_Another cough rattled in his weary lungs as he was thrown back onto the floor. The child curled himself into the tightest ball he could manage. He was sick of bleeding, and screaming, and begging. And he was sickened that his mother could shatter more than blood with her unrelenting blows. More than bone. _

_She stopped after what seemed like an eternity. Hiei opened the eye that he could still see out of. It widened a degree until he hissed in pain. The needy squall of a toddler bled through the walls and made everyone in the room pause. _

_The chamber echoed with cries of elation suddenly._

"_Oh, little Yukina calls!"_

"_She shall be a strong one indeed."_

"_She is such a dear. Why, just the other day she bounced on my knee and giggled like you wouldn't believe!"_

_Stunned, the little boy remained curled in his broken heap. The onslaught of cooing from the wenches was more disgusting to him than their previous jeers. How could these people, these… fiends all fawn over his sister but despise him so fully? _

_In one breathe they could decry him as vermin and raise his sister up with affection. It didn't make sense. _

_The boy couldn't understand how they had the same mother and yet, their treatments were of a completely different caliber. For the merest inkling of an instant Hiei tried and failed to hate his sister. But that was foolish. He was only glad she didn't have to deal with this. _

_Alone, he could bare it._

_Ruri stepped up to Hiei as he began quivering under the wieght of his heavy burden._

"_What shall I do with the wretch milady?"_

_Hina bent to the floor and picked up two __hiruseki_ _stones she had shed while beating her son. _

"_Dump him over the cliffs. It seems my little display today has put me back into favor with the ladies. His presence any longer would ruin that. Let his selfishness be his undoing."_

_Hiei didn't protest as he was hauled to his feet and held at arm's length like some piece of putrid rubbish. He didn't even flinch when his mother flicked her wrist and slung a cool chain carelessly around his skinny neck. Dark eyes wandered lazily down and he reached up a bloody hand to trace the priceless gem._

"_My last gift to you. Its all you'll ever get from me."_

_He wanted to look up at his mother but his child's heart didn't have enough strength to withstand against another rebuke. The hairline cracks were growing all the time and the slightest provocation threatened to shatter him to pieces. _

_Was it so wrong to need his mother? Yes, why else would he be treated like this? Of course it was selfish to crave his mother's love. Of course—_

_The scream erupted from his chest and shook the vicious stalactites that dripped down from the roof. Like a building inferno he loosed one after another while his mother's chain bit into and seared his neck. In a haze of agony and yearning he reached for his mother but she smiled cruelly at him, unmoving. _

_He was hauled away and his last conscious vision was that of Ruri's face as he tumbled over the cliffs into an impenetrable and uncertain fog._

Hiei frowned and twitched as he felt something dab at the sweat beading on his forehead. He gritted his teeth and reached up a hand to swat the offending appendage away.

"Yuks, stop it. Go away. Five more minutes", he mumbled.

A slight chuckle, that didn't sound like his sister, made Hiei crack open one eye cautiously. Keen eyes the color of priceless gems glittered mischievously down at his unkempt form.

The shorter boy scrambled to sit up and put as much distance as possible between himself and the boy. Shuichi sat back and propped one knee up, while resting a casual arm on it and leaning back against his other outstretched one.

"Is there a problem?"

"I…you… you aren't" Hiei sputtered lamely.

"I'm not…?" Shuichi arched one finely plucked eyebrow as he trailed off.

Hiei glared and spit out, "You aren't my sister. Where is she? She's the one who usually comes…"

"How would I know? I realize that my appearance isn't the most manly, but isn't that just a little rude?"

Hiei's jaw dropped. Was he getting castigated by this guy? Really? "What are you even doing here!"

The other boy smiled slowly, methodically as he mulled over a careful answer. "I came up here to look for a quiet place to study but someone was already here."

Hiei looked around the rest of the empty space and pointed at himself in feeble question. The redhead nodded.

"Very good."

"Why didn't you leave?"

"Oh come now", Shuichi scoffed as he rolled his eyes, "It's not like you own the place. And you were moaning and carrying on in quite the display so I just had to see what all the fuss was about. Was it a good dream?"

Hiei stiffened and felt his hell fire sizzle. If he didn't get a handle on himself, the human could get hurt. Normally he wouldn't care but, since he was under the employment of a certain pacifier-sucking-stuck up-daddy's-boy, he couldn't afford to make any mistakes that might get him in trouble. He had Yukina to look after and being banished to a hellish limbo wouldn't help that matter much.

The shorter boy reached a hand up and rubbed the back of his tensing neck to try and regain some semblance of control over his snapping powers. The red head watched him carefully but made no move to approach him or say anything else.

Good.

Hiei turned on his heel and made for the stairs to go back to class when Shuichi's dulcet tones gave him pause once again.

"By the way Hiei, how is your dear mother?"

In that next instant all the dark haired boy heard were screams. All he saw was a torrent of blood…

The past drove Hiei to his knees as he cradled his head against the phantom blows of his existence. Shuichi remained sitting and the smile he had kept for so long finally reached his eyes while he regarded the other boy. The shorter demon jerked hazordously and groaned in the throws of his waking hell.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Sorry chapter three took so long O_O;; I've been tweaking the plot a bit. Still not quite sure where it's going e.e For simplicity's sake let's just say that this is merely an outlet for creation oke? I've thoroughly garbled time periods and techniques. Yes. I know. –bows- and I'm verrrrry sorry. I'll try to clean it up as the story goes along. . Also, Kurama is Shuichi but Shuichi sounds funnier to me. And I'll leave it at that -_- So, with that said, here's chapter three! **_

Shuichi sat back and steepled his fingers under his chin. The vision that Hiei made was an amusing venture indeed. Just how long could he keep screaming like this before he broke himself?

The red head's eyes rippled and danced like swathes of green velvet—warm, dangerous, indescribably tempting. They traced the demon's movements with the most infinite care, as the latter twisted and writhed, moaning brokenly for release.

Sweat beaded and dripped along the contours of Hiei's body in a way that made Shuichi lick his lips.

This is what he had craved for all these years as he had screamed alone in the darkest pits of his prison. He had hungered for the very presence that had callously pushed him aside. You can cage an animal for only so long before it goes rabid.

And now here he was again, but the tables were turned. This time it would be Hiei who begged. Hiei who suffered…

Said demon fell to his knees and grabbed at his head, trying to curl away from the phantoms that haunted him. They were surrounded by mist, like a curtain he dared not draw back lest it consume him. And he was scared of them. He, a proud demon of considerable rank, was quivering like the child he had once been.

Rose bud lips quirked up in amusement as Shuichi got to his feet and approached the quivering boy. Fog swam around his ankles and rose up to engulf the rest of the rooftop.

Normal mortals wouldn't be able to see this, and they would feel the sudden compulsion to steer clear of the area for as long as Shuichi kept up the gossamer barrier.

Arms slung around Hiei's shoulders from behind. He hoisted the boy back to rest against him and wrapped his arms around the smaller waist to prevent his retreat. Hiei's form had stilled itself by this time as his head propped up against Shuichi's chest. It rolled to and fro for a moment but when Shuichi ground his hips against the shorter boy all motion ceased.

With a sigh, Hiei went limp. "That's it Hiei. Just like that."

Hiei whimpered softly. His eyes stared forward into the fog but saw nothing. Fiery silk spilled over Shuichi's shoulder as he leaned over and breathed into the shell of the shorter boy's ear.

"That's right, remember it all. And then remember me."

Hiei's back arched at the command and Shuichi's arms tightened and strained just a little to keep a steady hold. The shorter boy drew in gasp after strangled gasp and fought the urge to scream.

"I…I can't. Aaah! I don't want to. Stop this!" His chest rattled and his eyes pricked with the burning salt of tears. Shuichi lapped at them gently.

The door on the far side of the roof burst open to reveal a flustered Yukina. The fog cleared instantly and the glow of the sunset illuminated the bodies of the two struggling boys.

"Let my brother go!"

Shuichi looked up with a droll expression and got to his feet, kicking Hiei back to the ground.

"Hey!"

"What? You said to let him go. So, I let him go."

"You dropped him, you brute!"

Without batting a lash, he tucked his slender hands into the pockets of his uniform and strolled past as Yukina rushed forward to collect her brother. Kuwabara wheezed as he climbed the last few steps to catch up to his would be girlfriend but paused as the taller redhead slipped past him.

Shuichi's lips pulled down into a frown as he mumbled, "I haven't forgotten …the gloomy aroma of those flowers…"

"Uh… did you just say something?"

Brown eyes were caught in the gaze of snapping green and the copperhead rubbed his arms to dispel the chills that had suddenly arisen there. The other boy took his leave without hurrying. Kuwabara watched as the other redhead retreated with only one thought: who was that guy?

"Kazuma, help me!"

He shook himself and clambered to her side. Grunting, he slung the shorter boy over his shoulder before following the ice maiden who had captured his heart.

__o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o__

Hiei groaned and rolled over. Pools of reflecting darkness cracked open blearily.

He was home. How had he gotten here? His body quivered as he rolled himself onto his back. The last thing he remembered was…

…was?

Being awoken rudely from his afternoon nap by that new kid. And then…fog.

He swallowed and immediately regretted it. His throat was raw and he grimaced as he tasted blood. What the hell? A knock sounded at his door and he sat up a little to find his sister nudging it open with a tray in her hands. She stepped forward and set it down on the bed before placing her cool hand on his forehead.

"You're burning up big brother."

He snorted. "Hardly a surprise little one. I take after my father after all. He was hot stuff, you know."

Yukina rolled her eyes and gave her brother a bored stare.

"I'm proud of you."

Hiei blinked. "Because?"

"Normally you're so short tempered. But you didn't fry that guy today...even though...even though it looked like you were really in pain."

He stamped down on his shock as she busied herself with laying out a meal and a steaming cup of something. She handed said cup to him.

"Drink this. It'll make you feel better."

Without hesitating, Hiei took a sizeable gulp of the drought then promptly tried to spit it out again. Yukina reached forward and froze his lips shut so that he couldn't.

"I said drink big brother."

He swallowed, then grimaced. She unsealed his lips with a gentle smile.

"What is that…that…_that_?"

She sat down on the bed with her back facing him.

"It's bitter weed", she said simply.

Hiei shuddered. In the demon world, bitter weed could be used to cure mild maladies ranging from sore throats, to burns, and slight abrasions. Most demons didn't bother with it though because it had a reputedly ghastly taste. It was indeed the stuff of legends that made even demons fear the times when they had to take their medicine.

_Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. In the most .ful. waaaaay… _

Hiei cringed as the adage from Mary Poppins popped into his head.

"You've got to stop taking lessons from that witch, little sister."

Yukina got up and sniffed daintily. "She's not a witch. She's a wonderful woman."

"She's make believe", Hiei retorted flatly.

"Oh shut up and eat your food before it gets cold."

Hiei smothered the impulse to snort at the irony of that statement and wisely so. Yukina was very sensitive about her cooking. She left him to it as he picked at the food listlessly. There was something just at the edges of his memory that he was trying to grasp at. Something so tantalizingly out of reach.

With a shake of his head, the boy made an effort to consume the rest of the bitter root and the food. It wasn't easy and by the time he got a sizeable portion downed, he was exhausted again. Flumping back down, he allowed his mind to grope lazily at the swimming cacophony of images that flickered and danced behind his eyelids.

_He stopped in front of the large oak door, not bothering to knock. _

"_Its alright Hiei. I won't abandon you", a smooth voice whispered against his temple. Then a hand on his shoulder squeezed lightly. He brought his own hand up, surprised at how cold it was when he laced his fingers with those of the other warmer hand._

_Hiei tensed his shoulders, now so much bigger than they were since the last time he had been here. It was time. He pushed open the door with both arms and strode over the threshold with an arrogant swagger, reveling in the screams that bombarded and tore at his ears._

_The man behind him moved to stand at his side. One fox ear twitched and he tossed his silver mane irritably over one shoulder. "Not one for subtlety, are they?"_

_Despite the situation, Hiei chuckled at his companion._

"_They aren't called ice apparitions for nothing, you know."_

_The other man's eyes flashed as he grinned down at his companion. "Go. Do what you need to do. I'll keep these bitches busy."_

_All humor fled from Hiei's face as the taller man slashed at one pale arm with his claws. The screams raised to a fever pitch as he held that arm out and lianas shot from them. Not just any, but the growth of which carried stunning spores, painful serum in each thorn. __One scratch and it would have been enough to drive any being insane with agony. And now those sentient vines creeped forward at an alarming rate catching and holding all the maidens that stumbled in their methodical path. _

"_Watch your back Youko", Hiei called over his shoulder._

"_Same to you my friend."_

_The spikey haired man tucked his hands in his pockets and sauntered forward, paying no mind to the gore around him. Everywhere his eyes wandered, the women who had looked down on him were being squeezed to death, ripped apart by the bloodthirsty plant, begging for release. _

_His eyes widened as a guard rushed at him but then they shuttered to half-mast when tree roots rose up and tangled around the woman's ankles. _

"_Where are you going sugar? Come play with papa for a while." She howled and clawed at the ground as she was dragged past the shorter demon. The lilting drawl of the man's laughter at his back settled in Hiei's chest, strengthening his resolve. He stepped around her and continued on his way down the frigid hall, chuckling as he heard the squelching and crunching noises that signaled her dismemberment. _

_The screams and bellows muffled as he plunged deeper into the strong hold. Every now and again a vine of some sort would wiggle out from between the cracks in the ice and wave cheerily at him, reminding him that he wasn't alone. Heartened, Hiei finally came upon the door he was looking for. Pausing for a moment, he stared at them. _

_But then one of those vines curled towards him, brushing against his cheek lovingly. The man nodded. With all his strength, Hiei hauled the heavy ice apart. _

_Screams, screams of pleasure. Grunts of ecstasy. That terrible slap of two bodies entwining themselves together in sweat slicked passion. Ruri and Hina arched their backs with a final cry of pleasure before they melted into one another. Hiei stood in the shadows, waiting. _

"_Mother?"_

_Hina jerked around and materialized shimmering cloth around herself and the other woman. "Who's there? I told you I wasn't to be disturbed."_

_Her son stepped from his place and made himself visible. Her eyes widened in surprise for a moment before she stalked off the bed and took a crouching step forward._

"_Ruri?"_

_"Yes...m-my lady?"_

"_I thought I told you to dispose of this whelp."_

"_I…I threw him from the cliffs as you ordered my lady."_

"_Then why—"_

"_Mother?"_

"_What boy?" she snapped again, rounding on him. _

_Hiei stuck one arm straight out and let the beast lap at his life force. The dragon reared forward and guided the cold flame as he pointed his arm. Ruri shrieked and fell backwards against the headboard, writhing as the black fire danced over and devoured her. _

_Hiei's mother curled her lip at the writhing mass of melting flesh on her bed. "I liked those sheets too." _

_Face grim, Hiei pointed his arm at his mother as well. She glanced at him, sneering. "I hate men. The lot of you. But…you have power as my son. And it is our way to collect the powerful. Will you join me?"_

_The spikey haired boy cocked his head to the side. Her sneer didn't waver. He sighed and clenched his fist to dispel the beast. She sniffed daintily. "Same predictable ways I see. Even all these centuries later you still grovel like you were made for it."_

_Hiei's chest clenched as he brought his arm back up. "No mother. I wasn't. Now, where is Yukina?"_

_His mother raised her chin like the regal woman she was. "I have nothing to say to you."_

_His eyes flashed like smoldering coals. "Where is my sister?" Hina remained silent and jutted out her chin further, daring him._

"_So be it."_

_The beast roared and lunged from his flesh, eager for another kill. Hiei turned and closed his eyes, letting just one tear fall. He needed to find his sister. But with his new eye, that shouldn't be too much of a problem. Now there was just the matter of Youko…Youko….You…_

"_**Youko!" **_

Hiei sat up in a cold sweat as that single word was ripped from his throat. He cupped his mouth and traced his lips with one finger. The…memory?... no it must have been a dream…

The boy shook his head to dispel the black spikes poking at his eyes, even though he wanted to deny it. He knew what this was. Hiei's face morphed into a scowl as he heard the voice of a man he hadn't seen in centuries. But... why now?

__o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o__

Shuichi laid in his own bed and raised an arm up to stare at his splayed fingers. A different hand. A different body. Borrowed flesh…

A small price to pay in a bargain with a demon. And yet he felt the creature's betrayal like his own. Youku never wept. He never complained. But the restless shifting inside Shuichi's mind was all that was needed to know the demon was in pain.

He rolled over onto his stomach and took a breath in his pillow. It wasn't right. How could someone be punished for just caring for someone? No one should have to pay for love with blood and bone. No one. The redhead could still hear the lyrical clink of the chains. Still feel weight of them as the dark reeked and pressed against his naked body.

But it hadn't been his body. That day after the castle had crumbled Youko had cast about everywhere for his dear friend. But he had been nowhere to be found. Koenma's… No they had been Enma's forces at the time. The hounds had run him straight into the ground before he was dragged into their biased courts. He had been tried for treason against royalty. For Murder. That hadn't bothered him so much. Not so much as Hiei deserting him.

"_Are you dwelling again?"_

Shuichi flinched._ "__**No."**_

A silky chuckle purred against his skull_. "You need to learn to lie better little one."_

If Youko had had a corporeal form, Shuichi would have elbowed him. He was most definitely not little.

"_**Whatever. We start the next phase tomorrow."**_

"_This isn't your fight Shuichi. And that's too soon."_

The redhead snorted._**"The hell it's not. I choose my fights Youko. Make no mistake. Trust me, I'm helping you."**_

The fox shifted hesitantly, remembering a time when he had uttered those same words with just as much conviction. A muffled moan bled through the wall.

The poor woman was having night terrors again. All those that crossed death's line and lived to tell about it carried the burden. Death was a jealous bastard, and even when he had to let someone go, they never got away completely. The woman in the next room was the perfect example. Any guilt he had for her suffering though was washed away by the comfort he knew his host drew from her.

"_Your mother is calling."_

It didn't matter that it was the middle of the night. Even if Armageddon had stricken, Shuichi would still answer his mother's beckoning. The only reason he still had her was the demon lurking within him.

A small price to pay.

__o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o__

"Are you kidding me?" Keiko groused.

Yusuke cringed at her and rubbed the back of his neck. She glared ocular fire at him, at the quiz paper, and back at him again. "How on earth could _anyone_ get a five on a pop quiz? Even if they sleep like the _dead_!"

She crumbled it up and tossed it at the sheepish youth before opening her mouth to rail at him again. Before she could get the chance however he perked up and ran past her.

"Hiei my man! Just the demon I wanted to see."

Hiei scratched his chin and regarded the delinquent. "Isn't that a conflict of interest?"

Yusuke thought about that for a moment but waved his hand in the air carelessly. Poor Yusuke just jabbered on and on, not noticing the raging femme behind him. She on the other hand was quite aware of him.

Hiei's eyes flicked back to Yusuke then he grabbed his sister and sidestepped just in the nick of time. Keiko ran at her boyfriend and drop kicked him, using his body to skid safely to a stop. Road rash nothing, Yusuke was road kill. Hiei hid his smirk and tugged Yukina along behind him, the latter of which craned her neck with a concerned expression.

"Shouldn't we help him brother? Oh… there goes a tooth."

"Leave it. That's the only way idiots will ever learn."

He turned to face forward again but stopped just as they were about to walk past the school gates. Shuichi stood there with his arms crossed and one leg crooked up, resting against the rough brick. A slight breeze picked up and lifted those fiery locks, wafting them gently. Hiei's entire body erupted in chills and phantom screeches of terror tickled his ears.

"Fine morning we're having, isn't it?" The red haired boy smiled politely down at Yukina, who stared back blankly.

Shuichi scowled. "No need to be rude. I was just trying to be pleasant."

"I still haven't forgotten what you tried to do to my brother" she hissed. "Excuse my lack of courtesy."

He inclined his head. "You're quite excused."

Hiei growled and grabbed his sister's arm again. "Come on Yukina. Your first class is about to start."

She shot one last look at the redhead before following after her brother. An insufferably unconscious Yusuke was dragged through the gates minutes later by his banshee of a girlfriend. Shuichi rolled his eyes.

"Let the games begin."


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter Four **_

Hiei fidgeted in his seat, irate not only at his anxiety but at the shadow looming over his consciousness. It was a prickling sting that culminated into a molten lump of coal that seared his stomach. Or was that Yukina's cooking? Regardless, he could feel something there and it wanted his blood.

Well whoever…whatever it was would have to fight and fight hard to get a taste of him. It was his blood, and he'd keep it locked inside. It belonged to him. Hiei tsked at himself as he felt a trickle of sweat slide down his cheek. What the fuck was this?

"Brother? Are you alright?"

He flinched at Yukina's soft fingers against his cheek. They were on break but there were only a few minutes left. She smiled down at him while he turned his face so he could kiss her palm. "I'll be fine."

The ice maiden moved her hand to stroke through his hair. Hiei gave in to the touch and lowered his head on his desk. A short nap would do him good.

_The cursed child shrieked with fear as the wind buffeted and stabbed through him. In a panic he shot out his arms, sore from the fresh beating, as he clawed at the rock face that was quickly disappearing. There was an ugly sound of bones cracking, of flesh tearing, and the boy pulled back. His sobs were choked by the fog and the frigid air as he fell down and down and down._

_Like a ghost, he plummeted with little resistance. His mother did not want him. The air would not save him. He was going to…_

_Hiei blinked and rubbed his eyes. That patch of white…was it snow? If he could just fall there… The boy willed his body on the wind, straining for his target. _

_The last thing he saw was not white, but a black so complete that he thought this to surely be his end._

Hiei jerked in his chair as the professor dropped a book on the back of his skull. "W…ngh."

"Sleeping is not permitted in this class. If you're so tired you might as well leave." The woman eyed him but her eyes flashed with a little more than teacherly crankiness.

The chair scraped, making the professor wince as the irate teen turned to do just that. She tutted as he made to push past her.

"Infirmary, Janagashi. I'll be checking on you after class." Theirs elbows touched for the scantest of seconds and his Jagan cracked open at the overt wave of arousal emanating from inside her soul. Hiei chuckled and raised a hand to wave dismissively at her. Human women were so predictably desperate, it was sad.

At this, he caught his sister's eye and had the good grace to feel contrite as she pinned him with a little ocular fire. She saw straight through him and his intentions as easily as he had read their professor. Oh well.

"Behave", she mouthed silently. Hiei shot her a wicked grin as he padded quietly across the room.

The professor cleared her throat to resume the lecture while Hiei shut the classroom door behind him. He glared at nothing in particular as he strode towards the infirmary. Usually he'd go to his spot on the roof, but since the woman offered, well. A demon had his carnal needs too. And these humans reveled, no. _Worshiped_ the fact that he could still be so domineering and skillful despite his stature. It had served him well, indeed.

But there was another reason…that spot was…tainted. It wasn't safe and the teen knew it would never be the same.

Hiei sighed as he slid back the door to the infirmary and glanced inside. "Hello?"

When nothing answered him, he smiled and locked the door before crossing the room and pulling back the curtains for one bed. She'd be along eventually and had a key so that she could do this kind of thing. Hiei wasn't her first, and certainly wouldn't be her last but he didn't mind.

She might think she was using him but it was the other way around.

Hiei unbuttoned his dress shirt part way before running a tired hand through his hair. He peeled back the sheet and crawled under. When his head hit the pillow, he saw nothing but white.

_It smelled sweet. Were there smells after death?_

_The boy wrinkled his nose, groggy from the heavy aroma that wanted to beckon him back to that sublime peace he had just awoken from. A chuckle jolted him from his thoughts however and dark eyes shot open, bombarded by the electric blue sky that stretched above him. _

_The youth gasped as he felt weighted down by the conscious sensation. He sat up, his muscles creaking and throbbing in protest. Were you supposed to feel like this after death too? Hiei blinked away the sting in his eyes from the glaring white of the blossoms and drew a deep breath in their fragrance, deciding that even if pain still existed, at least nobody was yelling at him. _

_The chuckle sounded again, rippling like silk against Hiei's flesh. The boy looked around at the field of flowers where he'd landed, finding nothing. _

"_H-hello? W-who's t-there?"_

_Nobody answered him and now Hiei was starting to get nervous. He'd heard stories in passing about the world below, the place he must be in now. The tales were horrendous and frightening, the places in them not always as they appeared._

_A foreign touch whispered across his arm and Hiei jerked before staring hard in the direction it had slithered from. There, silhouetted in a tree that exploded with the same blossoms Hiei was lying in, stood a figure. Hiei gasped._

_The man was…_beautiful_._

_A sudden gust caught long silver tresses in its wispy grasp. His fox ears and tail were fluffy white, and they blended in perfectly with the scene; it was like this place had been constructed just to cater to him. Piercing eyes, as hard and cold as amber garnets, stared out from a refined face. Even from this distance Hiei could feel their power, their strange pull. The man was slight, but there was no guessing at his strength. He possessed a cunning kind of power that brute strength lacked. _

_Hiei cringed as the man jumped down and landed on light feet. A shiver raced up his spine as the man strode towards him, never removing that calculating stare. His tail swished behind him in a lazy rhythm._

_Something deep inside was telling him to run but Hiei couldn't. This beast was going to devour him…_

_The man stopped a few feet away and regarded the boy, his arms loosely at his sides. Hiei stood on shaky legs and gulped. Before he could open his mouth or let another thought pass, the figure rushed forward and knocked him back. _

_Hiei flew, but being airborne didn't last for too long this time as flowers were uprooted from his skidding path. The boy sat up, wanting to weep at the ugly gash he'd made in the beautiful plain of blossoms. The blow hadn't hurt, not like his mother's had. But he was truly useless. He deserved everything he was getting now if even a stranger was throwing him away, and—_

"_Get up."_

_Air hitched in the young boy's lungs as the figure spoke for the first time. It was deep, slow, and utterly sensuous as the man formed each word perfectly. Hiei gasped again and clutched at his chest, willing the electric fuzzies to keep swimming in his chest. He sat a moment longer just to see if the man would speak again. _

_He didn't and Hiei rose to his feet, exhausted but preparing himself for the next onslaught nonetheless. _

_The man walked all the way up to him this time and placed a cool, clawed hand against his bruised cheek. "You must fight." The hand wandered down and Hiei's eyes fluttered closed, savoring what felt like the first kind touch in… he couldn't remember how long it had been. The man's caresses left a pleasant burn in his hair, on his other cheek, down the length of his throat. The hand paused however as it traced the silver chain of his necklace. _

"_Fight, to keep your treasure safe and to prove a point to those that have forsaken you."_

_He didn't know who this demon was, but he didn't care. Like an abandoned puppy he clung to that kindness that was offered with everything in his little body. He didn't want to be left behind. Now dark eyes opened, for the first time not just looking, but __**seeing, **__his purpose._

Soft, breathy murmurs fell against the exposed flesh of his chest. With a groan, Hiei pushed the intrusion away. He wanted to keep the dream—Was it a dream?—going. A grating chuckle rubbed away the last of the shimmering image however, and grudging eyes opened to find the professor braced above him. Her grin was sickening as she reached a hand down to cup his sex through his pants.

Lust darkened his already black gaze, but Hiei's lip curled nonetheless. "Oh, look who it is."

She shivered, her breasts spilling from her tight blouse as she pressed against him. "I just love a man's voice when it's all gravely from sleep."

He tsked at her. "I was having a good dream, you know."

"Well then, just lay back and pretend you're still dreaming."She chuckled; a husky, disgusting sound.

A hiss escaped his lips before he could stop it as she moved the palm of her hand in a circular motion against his slowly hardening cock. His eyes lowered to half-mast while she nibbled down his neck and unbuttoned the rest of his shirt with her free hand.

He arched as she yanked up sharply. At the sound of fabric tearing he growled and threw her off.

"Dammit woman, what have I told you? No marks, and _my _clothes stay intact."

Without the slightest trace of guilt, she grinned and braced herself against the wall she'd landed against before using it as leverage to slide languidly to her feet. "Ohhh, teacher's been bad. Are you going to punish me now, Hiei?"

He sneered as he yanked off his belt. "You have no idea."

She purred as he snapped the belt and stalked towards her. When he got close enough, he shot an arm out and snatched a fistful of her hair, loosening it from its severe bun while using it to wheel her around and slam her front against the wall. She panted, not at all perturbed.

"Stay just like that now."

He ran a hand down the length of her clothed back before stopping to cup one supple ass cheek through her pencil skirt. Without warning, he shredded the skirt and panties from her hips and tossed them aside. She gasped when he drew back and slapped so hard that an angry red handprint shone out in stark relief against her naked ivory flesh. She shuddered and sighed, pressing herself closer to the wall

"Don't make a fucking sound." He yanked her hair again until she was forced to arc back with it as he spat the warning into her ear. He threw her forward and raised the belt this time. The lashes came down, one after another after another, raising red welts that steadily flowered into abused purple. She cried out in pain and strangled ecstasy as each strike fell. The skin through the tears in her blouse peeked through, bloody and all too enticing.

He hissed and hit harder. "I said, not a sound."

With each passing second he put more power into the blows but she bit her lip and groaned, obedient to her little master's forceful demands.

"Yes, just like that. Good girl. Now, spread your legs." She complied and he blew out a deep breathe, not from satisfaction but weary resignation. She took it as the former as they both panted from the exertion.

This eased the ache inside but never for long. Something gnawed at his insides but he ignored it. A little relief was better than none at all. After a few more well-placed whips against her sensitive inner thighs, Hiei snapped the belt so that it pulled taught between both his hands.

"Turn", he barked.

She swiveled slowly, stiff from that pulsing sting on her skin that she'd craved for weeks.

"Kneel." She sank to her sore knees and quivered at what she knew was coming next. He reached down and undid his pants with one deft motion before springing his manhood free. It strained in the open air, already leaking at the tip.

The professor smiled inside. Her Hiei, such a passionate little thing. He spidered a hand down his length and watched her watching him. "Come here."

She shuffled forward, never breaking eye contact with him. He clutched the base of his cock and glared down at her, tapping lightly at the side of her parted mouth.

"Do you want it?"

Her breathing quickened and the pink staining her body darkened a shade, yet she didn't answer. This was the master's game. Following their procedure he swiped down with a sure stroke, lashing the belt across her breasts. The professor's eyes rolled back as she whimpered, thanked him, and begged for more.

"Do you want it", he repeated. This time she nodded and parted her lips to oblige his girth.

Hiei braced himself against the far wall and beckoned her forward until he felt her breathe against his fevered flesh. He bared the creamy pillar of his throat and closed his eyes as he felt the first swipe of her tongue. His body coiled in expectation of that sweet inferno that would take him over…but there was nothing else forthcoming. She'd pulled back.

Frowning, Hiei opened his eyes again and looked down. She slumped against his thigh but something was off. She wasn't moving anymore and something hot and sticky pooled against his skin. Hiei's eyes widened as the woman was jerked back for him to see.

Hair thin vines wiggled out from one of her eyes as her mouth lolled open. They writhed as if waving at him before they dragged the woman back and suspended her in midair. Dread exploded in Hiei's stomach as Shuichi strolled in, twirling a key around one finger and whistling a merry tune.

He covered his mouth in mock surprise and looked between the woman and Hiei. Snapping, he laughed at the shorter teen's expression. "Like it? It's a new splice I've been working on."

Hiei pulled himself back together and subdued the roar of the dragon inside that salivated for a taste of the redhead. Now that he knew this guy had powers, he could at least punch him out without worrying too much about the consequences, but the darkness flame still needed to be used with caution.

"Killing humans is no small matter. You'll be answering for this."

Shuichi scoffed. "And so the loyal dog barks. Tell me Hiei, where has your pride gone?"

Hiei locked his jaw. "Some things have to be sacrificed in the name of necessity."

The redhead hummed. "Yes, I know that vice well. Hope is always the first thing that goes."

She might not have been the most savory individual, but she was still human. Before he wouldn't have cared. But now that he had his sister…and Yusuke, and the rest of them…well, he'd changed.

Shuichi's eyes rolled. "Oh don't fret. She didn't feel anything, her death was instantaneous." The taller teen inspected the woman as she drifted forward. His eyebrows shot into his hairline, an appraisal to her fair appearance.

Hiei rubbed at the soreness between his legs before he took a defensive stance. Dammit, if he had just gotten a chance to finish…

Shuichi leered at Hiei with a feral grin. "You really thought I would just stand idly by while she touched you?"

The shorter teen blinked as his face melded into a scowl. "This has nothing to do with you."

Suddenly those same hair thin vines that had offed his professor wrapped around Hiei's own limbs, cutting into his skin as they twined and tugged him off his feet.

"Oh, it has _everything_ to do with me", the redhead spat. The shorter boy jerked and strained against his living fetters as they dragged him close to where Shuichi was standing. His head jolted to the side as the redhead delivered a crisp slap to one of his cheeks. When Hiei swiveled his head back around he gasped as the vision of the taller boy rippled and morphed into the one from his dream.

_**You people are soooo in for it now. I know exactly where I'm going with this. And yes, I tweaked the name a little bit because it wouldnt make sense for Yukina to be Jaganshi...so... Janagashi works xD If you want continuation I want reviews. Nothing is free and dammit I want feedback xD**_


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